IP Library Granted Patent US 10,929,547
Granted Patent B2
US 10,929,547 · App. 16/223,898 · Granted Feb 23, 2021

Collection folder for collecting file submissions using email

Inventors: Mindy Zhang (San Francisco, CA); Pranav Piyush (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: DROPBOX, INC.
G06F21/604G06F16/9566G06F17/30887G06F21/62G06F21/6218G06F21/6245G06F40/295H04L51/04H04L51/08H04L51/32H04L63/0861H04L63/102H04L63/104H04L63/105H04L63/1408H04L63/1416H04L63/1425H04L65/403H04L67/06H04L67/1078H04L67/1095H04L67/1097H04L67/306H04L63/101
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,929,547
App. No.
16/223,898
Granted
Feb 23, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A content management system for collecting files from one or more submitters in a collection folder. A collector, who generates the collection folder, can invite one or more submitters to submit one or more files to the collection folder using email. The one or more submitters have limited rights to the collection folder. The limited rights can include uploading rights and prohibiting a submitter from viewing files that other submitters associated with the collection folder submitted. Thus, the collection folder is able to store files from the one or more submitters, but prevent them from viewing other's submissions.

Claims (68)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, based on user input received via an email composition interface on a collector client device associated with a collector user, an indication to create a file request to associate with an email message;

in response to receiving the indication to create the file request, generating, by a content management system, an email address that references a collection folder associated with the collector user within the content management system;

sending, to a submitter client device, the email message, the email message sent from the generated email address associated with the collection folder and sent to a submitter email address;

receiving, from the submitter client device, a reply email message to the email message, the reply email message directed to the generated email address associated with the collection folder, and the reply email message comprising an attached file; and

storing the attached file in the collection folder based on determining that the reply email message is directed to the generated email address that references the collection folder.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a file request link corresponding to the collection folder; and

providing the file request link within the email message as a hyperlink.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving, from the submitter client device, an indication of a submitter user associated with the submitter client device selecting the file request link within the email message; and

providing, to the submitter client device, a file upload interface that allows an additional file to be uploaded to the collection folder on the content management system.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving the additional file from the submitter client device via the file upload interface; and

storing the additional file in the collection folder based on receiving the additional file via the file upload interface.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the user input received via the email composition interface is text input in the email message; and

the indication to create the file request is based on a detection of a text trigger within the text input.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

generating a file request link corresponding to the collection folder; and

associating the text trigger within the email message with the file request link.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the email message from the generated email address associated with the collection folder and to the submitter email address grants limited rights that enable a submitter user associated with the submitter email address to view files submitted to the collection folder by the submitter client device while prohibiting another submitter user from viewing the files.

8. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive, based on user input received via an email composition interface on a collector client device associated with a collector user, an indication to create a file request to associate with an email message;

in response to receiving the indication to create the file request, generate an email address that references a collection folder associated with the collector user within a content management system;

send, to a submitter client device, the email message, the email message sent from the generated email address associated with the collection folder and sent to a submitter email address;

receive, from the submitter client device, a reply email message to the email message, the reply email message directed to the generated email address associated with the collection folder, and the reply email message comprising an attached file; and

store the attached file in the collection folder based on determining that the reply email message is directed to the generated email address that references the collection folder.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

generate a file request link corresponding to the collection folder; and

provide the file request link within the email message as a hyperlink.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive, from the submitter client device, an indication of a submitter user associated with the submitter client device selecting the file request link within the email message; and

provide, to the submitter client device, a file upload interface that allows an additional file to be uploaded to the collection folder on the content management system.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive the additional file from the submitter client device via the file upload interface; and

store the additional file in the collection folder based on receiving the additional file via the file upload interface.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

the user input received via the email composition interface is text input in the email message; and

the indication to create the file request is based on detecting a text trigger within the text input.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

generate a file request link corresponding to the collection folder; and

associate the text trigger within the email message with the file request link.

14. The system of claim 8 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to, based on sending the email message from the generated email address associated with the collection folder and to the submitter email address, grant limited rights that enable a submitter user associated with the submitter email address to view files submitted to the collection folder by the submitter client device while prohibiting another submitter user from viewing the files.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer to:

receive, based on user input received via an email composition interface on a collector client device associated with a collector user, an indication to create a file request to associate with an email message;

in response to receiving the indication to create a file request, generate an email address that references a collection folder associated with the collector user within a content management system;

send, to a submitter client device, the email message, the email message sent from the generated email address associated with the collection folder and sent to a submitter email address;

receive, from the submitter client device, a reply email message to the email message, the reply email message directed to the generated email address associated with the collection folder, and the reply email message comprising an attached file; and

store the attached file in the collection folder based on determining that the reply email message is directed to the generated email address that references the collection folder.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer to:

generate a file request link corresponding to the collection folder; and

provide the file request link within the email message as a hyperlink.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer to:

receive, from the submitter client device, an indication of a submitter user associated with the submitter client device selecting the file request link within the email message; and

provide, to the submitter client device, a file upload interface that allows an additional file to be uploaded to the collection folder on the content management system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer to:

receive the additional file from the submitter client device via the file upload interface; and

store the additional file in the collection folder based on receiving the additional file via the file upload interface.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein:

the user input received via the email composition interface is text input in the email message;

the indication to create the file request is based on detecting a text trigger within the text input; and

further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer to:

generate a file request link corresponding to the collection folder; and

associate the text trigger within the email message with the file request link.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer to, based on sending the email message from the generated email address associated with the collection folder and to the submitter email address, grant limited rights that enable a submitter user associated with the submitter email address to view files submitted to the collection folder by the submitter client device while prohibiting another submitter user from viewing the files.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 069635/0332 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069604/0611 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 10, 2021
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055670/0219 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2018
From: ZHANG, MINDY; PIYUSH, PRANAV
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 047807/0590 →